House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., created a problematic government shutdown for the American people — but the move may have handed President Donald Trump the “keys to the kingdom.”
“While a shutdown is very damaging for real American people who depend upon government services, it can provide an opportunity to downsize the scope and the scale of government, which is something that we’ve all always wanted to do,” Johnson told “Mornings with Maria” on Wednesday.
“So, in a way, Chuck Schumer has now handed the keys to the kingdom to the executive branch under President Trump to do some things that we would not otherwise be able to do because we would never get Democrat votes for them.”
The House speaker accused Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) of taking “a partisan political stand for their own purposes” after the duo failed to bring “credible” arguments to their meeting with President Trump.
Johnson explained that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought will now be responsible for deciding which services to prioritize or suspend because of the shutdown.
The shutdown impacts many public services and government agencies, including Medicare and Medicaid, FEMA, Veterans Affairs and the Department of Transportation.
